Ignition system.



J. E. SEELEY.. IGNITION SYSTEM. APPL-loulou FILED 11011.28, 1910.

Patented Jan. 16,1912

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JAMES E. SEELEY, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR T HIGH FREQUENCY IGNITION COIL COMPANY, 0F LOSANGELES, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION 0F Y CALIFORNIA.

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IGNITION I sYsTEr/i.

Patented aan. rc, raie.

Application filed November 28, 1910. Serial No. 594,597.

To all whom 'it may concern:

'Be it known that4 I, JAMES E. SEELEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Ignition System, of which ther following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for 1nterrupting the circuit of sparking devices for internal combustion engines, and for dlstributing the sparking current to the respective cylindersof the engine.

The main object of the invention 1s to provide for giving breaks in rapid succession, as required, for example, in multlcylmder engines, and at the same time allow for maximum energization of the self-inductive n means from which the energy of the spark is derived.

Another object of the rinvention 1s to eX- tend the range through which the spark maybe advanced, while'at the same tune providing suiicient duration of contact for eectual energization of the induction' means.' The ignition system comprises a source'ofl electric current, a charging circuit connected lthereto and including self-induction cans,

an interrupter and a distributer, a con enser connected tov said circuit, discharge circuits connected to said distributer-wherebylthe energizing circuit is brought successively 'into connection with said discharge circuits and is interrupted during such timev ofconnection sov as tocau'se the condenser to `be charged and to discharge through each-dischargel circuit, and means for providing a' supplementary energizing connection 'for the charging circuit, before connection kis 40 m'adeto the discharge circuit. In a multicylinder engine, the time during which vt-he distribute'I- contact is connected' to any particular, discharge circuit is limited more or less according to the speed of the engine and to the number of segments required for the several cylinders. I- the regulation of the engine it is requiredto advancethe spark as t-he engine speeds up and in doing so the time of break at the interrupter is shifted relatively to the motion of the distributer contacts, and the time during which the distributer is lestablishingconnection through Athe energizing circuit is correspondingly reduced, and with high speeds and' with more than two cylindersthe reduction of time is suchthat lthe energizing circuit does not have opportunity to be fully energized. To obviate this diiii- I culty I provide for energizing the charging circuit by a supplementary connection independently of the segment on which the-discharge takes place, so as to enable energize.- tion of the charging circuit without inter-4 fering with the selection of the discharge tatable member of the device. Fig. 6 is a diagram o f the circuit connections.

The circuit controlling device 4comprises a socket or attaching por-tion 1 adapted to fit over the operating shaft, indicated at 2, and to be secured thereto by screw means 3, interrupting devices, carried by said attaching means so as to rotate with thesaid shaft and anv inclosing case rotatably mounted on said attaching vmeans and carrying the terminals for the distributer and provided with controlling means for advancing the spark.

The inclosing case referred to comprises acylindricalmember or ring 4 of insulating material, a tubular metal extension 'atthe inner end of said ring rotatably mounted on the'member 1 by ball bearings 6 and an outeroi" cover member 7 secured to the outer end of the ringflandjormed with a bearing 8 for an arbor 9 to which'is secured by screw` means 10 a lever 11 provided with means l1 for attachment to the rod leading to anyy suitable means for lmanual operation to control the ,time of interruption.' The inner end-of the arbor 9 is providedwith an c1`1-Y larged'head 12 formed Vwith aninwardly extending lug 13 to engagea Xed or Acam g by pivot 18 on said plate 16 and provided l with a contact 20 at its outer end adapted means 26' to move the said contacts into closed position. Said cam means consists of a cylindrical metal body rotatably mounted on a. stud 27 extending from and connected to the metal plate 16, said cylindrical body having a plurality of longitudinal grooves 28 'forming cam surfaces for engagement with and operation of the projection 25, as

stated. A metallic pin 30 mounted to slide longitudinally in the arbor 9 engages with the end of the stud 27, being pressed into such engagement by a spring 31 contained within a longitudinal bore in said arbor 9, a plug 32 screwing into said bore engaging the outer end of said spring to control its pressure. A metal strip 23 connects arm 17 with the plate 16, serving as a conducting bond.

The distributer means comprises a fixed member consisting of the insulating ring 4 aforesaid and an annular series of metallic contacts 35 carried thereby, and a movable member consisting of a cont-act 36 radially slidable in a slot 37 formed in a sleeve 38 extending transversely in the cylindrical body 15, a spring 39 engaging said contact 36 to press the same outwardly, the further end of said spring abutting againstcontact means for completing the circuit. In connection with the distributer, l provide a self-induction-coil 40, said coil being preferably mounted in the rotary member of the distributer to rotate therewith and being preferably located so that the spring 39 aforesaid contacts with the outer casing 41 of said coil, said coil being an iron-clad coil with iron casing 41 and iron core 33 with non-magnetic and non-conducting heads `42 at the ends thereof. The core member of said coil is fastened by `a screw 43 screwing into a metal plate 44 attached to the supporting member 1 andsupporting the insulating cylinder 15 and the parts carried thereby. The coil 40 is connected at one end to the outer casing 41 so as to be in conductive connection with the distributer contact 36, and the inner end of said coil is connected to the core 33, which through the screw 43, is in conductive connection to the plate 44, constituting a; ground connection. Referring to Fig. 6, the circuit conn t1ons y for the above described circuit controlllng device are als follows: The shaft 2 and the parts in metallic connection there-) with are grounded as indicated at 34. The l self-induction coil 40 above referred to is grounded as above stated at one end, the other end of said coil being connected as described, to die rotary distributer contact 36. Saidrotary distributer contact 36 1s also connected by a bond 45 to the fixed centact 21 of the interrupter. The movable contact of the interrupter indicated at 20 is v connected by the contact means 31 and 32 tobinding screw means 10. rllhe main energizing circuit 48is connected to this binding screw means and includes a self-induction orinductance coil 49 and a switch 50, whereby it may be connected to a battery 51 Vor to a magneto 52, grounds 53 and 54 being provided for these sources of current, to complete the circuit. A condenser 55 is connected at one side to the circuit 48 and at the other side to ground as at 56. A connection 57 leads from each distributer conf' tact 35 to a primary coil 58 of a high tension induction coil, the other end of said primary coil being grounded as at 59 and the secondary 60 of said induction coil being connected at one end to the connection 57 and alt the other end to an electrode 61 of a spark` gap device, the other electrode'- of which is grounded in the usual manner by that the'switch 50 is moved to close the con' nection from battery 51 to the charging circuit 48, current will pass from said battery through said switch and circuit 48, including the self-induction .coil 49 therein, to connection means 10, 32,31, pin 30, lpivot 18, plate 16, arm 17 and movable contact 20, and when. the interrupter is in `position shown inkFig.l 2, the circuit-is continued from contact 20 to xed contact 21, bond 45, sleeve 38 to the lmovable contact 36 of the distributer. v`When `the said movable contact is in contact with any one of thefxedl 4segments 35 of the distributer, the circuit 1s -continued from said movable contact 36 through-,the finedv segment 35, connection` 57 and primary of the high tension induction 4 coil to ground Aat 59. When the higher por# tion of thecam 26'passes under the `projets-- tion 25 of the arm 17,` it raises the contact 20 momentarily out of contact with the xed contact 21,\opening the circuit above tracedyand the self-induction coil 49 thenl sets up.V a' self-.inductive current of high potential l*in this circuit, charging `the condenser 55, said condenser discharging through a circuit comprising thepart of the circuit 48 connecting the condenser with the interrupter, the contacts of the interrupter and the sparkv gap therebetween, the contacts of the distributer and the primary coil Vof the high tension self-induction coilwhich has been selected for the time being by the distributer.s The time at which this action 50 high tension current for ergizat-ion ofthe contact 36 of the takes place is determined by adjustment of the interrupter by the controlling means 11 which shifts the position of the cam '26, and thereby determines the time at which the projection 25 will ride over the high portions of said cam.

Assume now that the controlling member 11 has been moved so as to advance the interruption for producing the spark to the time at which the distributer contact 36 has just passed onto one of the segments 35. The connection for the energizing circuit which is established by the distributer having been established at the very moment of interruption, there would be no opportunity for enself-induction means in the charging circuit if it were not for the operation of the supplementary connection through the self-induction coil 40 -to ground. It will be noted that the connection from the rotary contact 36 of the distribu ter through 'this self-induction coil 40 to ground extends continually irrespective of the movement of the distributer, so that there is always a current. from the charging 'connect-ion 48 even when the contact 36 of t-he distributer is on an insulating portion of the distributer, the current passing in that case from the fixed contact 2l of the circuit interrupter to sleeve 38, bond 45, self-induction coil 40 and connection 44 to ground and thence back to the battery ground at 53. There is thus a circuit pass from the duction coil 49 establlshed for the current to battery jthrough the self-inand the charging circuit, and through this supplementary self-induction coil 40 before the contact 36 passes onto a distributer segment 35, sothat when. the contact 36 does pass onto such a segment, the circuit may be immediately interrupted b the circuit interrupter and the main sel induction coil 49 will have been suitci'ently prenergized to deliver the requisite ydischarge current. 4The inductanee of the selfinduction coil 40 is'small compared with the inductance of the main self-induction coil 49, so that the interposition of said Supplementary self-induction coil in the circuit does not materially reduce the ener of the charging the condenser. On the other hand, the lnductance of said supplementary self-induction coil 40 is large compared with that of the high tension induction coil A58, so that the discharge from the condenser on reaching the rotary distributer passes almost wholly along the path through the high tenpath for the energizing,

sion self-induction coil 58 to which it is connected for the time being by the distributer.

What I claim is: r 1. In an ignition system, the combination of a source of electric current, a charging circuit connected thereto and including self- `induction means, a plurality of discharge connections, a distributer for establishing connection successively from said charging .circuit to said discharge connections, an interrupter connected in the charging circuit, a condenser connected to the 'charging circuitto receive a charge therefrom on in! terrupt-ion of said circuit, and to discharge through the discharge connections, means for controlling the time of operation of Said interrupter and a supplementary connection for the charging circuit independent of the discharge Aconnections through the distribu of the charging ter to enable energization circuit, precedent to the connection of the charging circuit to any given ldischarge connection by the distributer.

2. In an ignition system, the combination of a source of electric current, a charging -circuit connected thereto and including selflnduction means, a plurality of discharge circuits, a distributer for est-abhshing connection successively from said charging circuit to said discharge circuits, an interrupter connected in the charging circuit, a condenser connected to the charging circuit, to receive a; charge therefrom on interruption of said circuit and to discharge through the discharge circuits, means for controlling the time of operation of said4 interrupter and a supplementary connection for the charging circuit, independent of the discharge connections through the distributer,to enable energization of the charging circuit precedentto the connection of the charging circuit to any given discharge connection by the 'distributer, saidsupplementary connection for the charging circuit including selfinduction means of lo'wer inductance than the self-inductance means in circuit and said discharge connections including high-tension induction devices of lower lnductance than the said supplementary connection. v

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 9th day of November 1910. A

` `J ES E. SEELEY.

In presence of- ARTHUR P. KNIGHT,

FRANK L. A. GRAHAM.

the charging i 

